Direction indicator for motor vehicles



F. SKARZYNSKI. DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20, I92I.

t Pand .TuIy 4, 1922.

I l I I I I I I IJwII. IIIIIIIIIII u c IIIIIIII IIIII Inr.r|| IIII vIIIIIIIII FRANK SKARZYNSKI, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

iaaaoo.

Application filed October 20, 1921.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SKARZYNSKI, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction Indicators for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in direction indicators for motor vehicles, particularly of the mauually operable type involving a pointer or hand rotatably mounted upon a vertical axis.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a direction indicator for motor vehicles involving a rotatably vertical operating shaft having an indicator hand` or pointer fixed upon the upper Vend thereo-f and provided with means operatively connected with the lower end of the same for rotating said shaft and pointer, saidshaft being journaled through a suitable support and having a bearingprovided with means for preventing accidental rotary displacep ment of the hand or pointer when in any of its adjustingindicating positions while permittingl ready rotation of the same man ually.

*With the above general obj ect in view and p Others that will appear as the nature of the invention isA better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of partsv hereinafter more fully described in `connection with the accompanying drawing and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing, Y

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a direction indicator constructed in accordance with the present invention shown operatively disposed upona motor vehicle, a portion of which is indicated in outline by dotted lines,

Figure 2 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1V showing a modified form ofthe indicator, y

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 of a furthermodification, Y

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a still further modification,

Figure 5 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation of the indicator and its operating shaft together with associated parts7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1922. Serial No. 509,007.

Figure 8.

Referring to Figure 1, the invention einvbodies a hand or pointer 5 fixed upon the upper end of a vertical operating shaft 6 which is journaled through the top wall of the engine hood 7 near the radiator 8, al bevel gear 9 being fixed upon the lower 'end of the shaft 6 in mesh with another bevel gear 10.1ixed upon the forward end of a relatively long horizontal shaft 11 which extends rearwardly under the hood 7 and through the dash of the automobile so that the' shaft 11 may be readily manually rotated by means of a handle 12 fixed upon the rear end of the shaft 11. Suitable shaft hangers 13 may be fixed to the under side of the hood 7 for rotatably supporting the 5 is mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 6 and has a supporting gear 9 fixed upon the lower end yof said shaft meshing with another bevel gear 10 fixed upon a horizontal relatively short shaft 11, the rear end of which is within reach of the dri ver and -has an operating handle 12. In this form of the invention, the construction is substantially the sameY as in Figure 1 except that the shaft 11 is shorter and the shaft 6 is journaled through the hood 7 near the windshield 14 instead of near the radiator 8. The shaft 11 is supported by a shaft hanger 13 fixed to the hood 7.

In Figure 3, the signal is shown and adapted for the closed car type of automobile with the vertical shaft 6 journaled through the top 15 of the automobile body, an indicator -hand or pointer 5 being xed upon the upper end of the shaft 6 and a sprocket wheel 16 being fixed upon the lower end of the shaft 6 in lieu of the bevel gears 9 of the forms shown in Figures l and 2. The sprocket wheel 16 has an endless chain 17 passed therearound and this chain extends forwardly and around anshaft 11. In Figure 2, the hand or pointer other sprocket wheellS that is suitably journaled in the same horizontal plane as the sprocket wheel I6 Iat Athe forward end of the top l5 and which is provided with a depending handle 19 within convenient reach of the driver for rotating the sprocket wheel 18.

,j .le-ferring to Figure 4, the construction is substantiallythesaine V as vthat shown in Figiire B, the hand 5 being mounted upon the ,ver tical shaft l6 which is provided with a sprocket wheel I6 at its lower 'end engaged byanendless sprocket chainl7, but in this Afor-m the shaft `6 is journaled through a bracket ormlike support 20 fixed to the rear theautomobilebody near one side and tire Achain 1 7 extends forwardly so that the same may, be manipulated lin any desired manner from the drivers seat.

As yshown in VFigures 5, I6, and 7, the'indi- ,eating peinter 5 preferably consists yin a painpf., molded longitudinal half sections suitaliy bolted together'as at 2'1 and having base angesby means of which said sections may be fastened to a rectangularhousing22 which is mounted uponthe upper end f theshaft`6. The hand 5 being of hollow construction. and of' transparent material,

is adaptecl, tol be interiorly illuminated by n electric lamp 23 whose feed wires 24 eX- @tend into theihousing 22 and Idownwardly ..throughthe shaft 6 to a desired point of current supply and control switch, not s hown. The arrangement `of the switch and -b attery is incidental and well known inthe artwso that the same forms no partof the .present .invention fand is therefore not shown. The construction is preferably such 1 th atjthe wrist'portion of the indicator hand is openedat `the end lso as to v admit the 'entrance ofthe bulb 23 which is preferably v engagedwith the usual lamp socket 25 lfixed upon the outer face of one side of the casing 22 and connected with the wires, 24. VIn each of the forms of the invention shown,.i n Figures 1 2, 3, ande, the shaft 6 extendsthrough the support 7 15, or 20 and is held against endwise displacement and in adjusted 'rotarily swung position by means of the, .construction clearlyV shown in Figures 8 andl 9.' This construction in cludes aflangeor Ycollar 26 fixed upon the shaft 6 and positioned yto engage the under ,surface ofthesupport, a bearing 27 fastened upontheupper surface ofthe support and through which-the shaft'6 rotatably extends, said bearing being held against rotation by lineans of (screws 2 8 entering apertures in a plurality of radialears 29 upon said bearing 27 and'engaging the support, and another iiangeor collar 30. fastenedto theshaft 6 iin positionto rest upon the upper surface of` the `bearing 27. 'l'lue'fianges 26 and 30 will vprevent endwise movement Aof the shaft 6 and the bearing 27 is provided with a radial inwardly pressed balll adapted to selectively engage one of three hemi-spherical Ysockets 32 provided in the periphery of the B2i screwed into'the outer end of said socket.VA

In operation, 'through 4the mechanism and gearing described, the shaft 6 of any'of the forms may be rotated inthe proper direction to turn the indicating hand to the right in case the driver is about to turn in thatv direction while by rotating the shaft 6 in theopposite direction, said hand will be caused'to point to the 'left to indicate that the driver is about to 'turn in thelatter direction. On 'the other hand, the pointer will'be directed straight ahead when the driver intends 'to continue a straight course. In anyone of these threepositions,` the 'ball 3l is engaged in one ofthe sockets 32 so as'to prevent .accidental rotation of thefpointer from v1- 'bratiom wind `pressure 'or vthe like, Vbut'at the sametime manual rotation of thesha'ft and its lpointer will bel possible. Obviously,

"the lamp 23 need not be lighted during the daytime-but will 'be found necessary at night in order that the signal may be plainly visible at all jtiines.l

, vFrom the 4foregoing description, 'it fis jbehcved that the construction and operation of the present inventionl will bel readily understood and appreciated by those 'skilled in `the art.

Minor changes Imay befrnade without departing from the spirit va'iid scope ofthe invention as claimed.

What is v'claimed as new is:

1 In a direction indicator f'o'rmtor vehicles, a vertieal shaftfj urnaled Sforfrotfation and having ahoursingfixed upon the upper end thereof, a lamp soket'mounteduponthe exterior of one of thefside walls of said housingv andi'having incandescent lamp therein` feedw'ires for said 'socketfeiitending through the housing and shaft, meansioperatively conneetedfto the lower end ofthe shaft for'ma'nu'ally rotating the latter, 'and ra hollow transparent indicatoifmember'hav;

ing-"a flanged wrist portion secured :against said side of the housing and havingl open end into which the lamp andsocket'project.

2. :In a direction v indicator formotor vehicles, a vertical shaft jou'rnaledfor rotation and 'having a housing fined upon `the upper I end thereof, a 'lamp socket nioiiiitedup'on the exterior'ofne'of the side wall'sof said housing fand having 'an incandescent l'lamp therein, feedwires for said socket entending through the housingla'nd"shaft5`nieans peratively connected to the lower end of the shaft for manually rotating the latter, and a. hollow transparent indicator member having a anged Wrist portion secured against said side of the housing and having an open end into which the lamp and socket project, said indicator member comprising longitudinal half sections bolted together.

3. In a direction indicator for motor vehicles, a horizontal support, a vertical shaft extending and journaled therethrough, a bearing through which the shaft extends resting upon said support and fixed to the latter against rotary movement, a flange iXed to the shaft and rotarily engaging the under surface of the support, a second {iange fixed to the shaft and rotarily engaging the upper surface of the bearing, an indicator member mounted upon the upper end of the shaft, means to manually rotate said shaft operatively connected to the lower end of the latter, and means including a spring pressed detent carried by the bearing for holding the shaft against accidental rotation when the pointer is directed ahead, to the left or to the right, said last named means permitting ready manual rotation of the shaft.

4. In a direction indicator for motor vehicles, a vertical shaft journaled for rotation and having a housing fixed upon the upper end thereof, a hollow transparent indicator member having a flanged Wrist portion secured against one side of the housing, said indicator member comprising longitudinal half sections bolted together, and means for rotating said shaft and indicator member.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

FRANK SKARZYNSKI. 

